Best Big Interview Alternatives for Technical and Data Roles (2026)
Eight Big Interview alternatives for SQL, data science, engineering and PM interviews, with pros, cons, pricing and who each one is best for.
Big Interview is a good tool for behavioral and general interview prep, and many universities give it to students for free. If your interview has SQL, coding, product sense or system design rounds, though, you'll need something more technical. Below are eight options I'd look at, including Dataford, the platform I run. I've tried to be straight about where each one is strong and where it falls short.
Comparison table
| Platform | Best for | Roles | AI mock interviews | Price (checked Oct 11, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dataford | Company-specific technical prep, plus 1:1 coaching with people at the company | 80+ technical and data roles | Yes, timed company-specific mocks graded by AI | $29/month or $89/year |
| Interview Query | Data science and analytics question bank | Data science, analytics, ML, data engineering | Mock interviews included in premium | Monthly, yearly and $299 lifetime plans |
| DataLemur | SQL interview practice at a low price | Data analyst, data science, data engineering | None listed on its pricing page | $15/month, $60/year, or $300 lifetime with coaching and book |
| StrataScratch | Large SQL and Python coding bank | Data science, analytics, data engineering | Yes, on Premium | $24/month, $139/year or $289 lifetime |
| Aced (formerly Exponent) | PM, software engineering and system design | PM, SWE, TPM, data science, ML | Yes, on Expert plan | Free Basic; Pro $79/month or $12/month billed yearly; Expert $99/month or $20/month billed yearly |
| IGotAnOffer | Company guides and paid 1:1 coaching | PM, SWE, consulting, data science | Human mock interviews with coaches | Coaching from about $100 to $250 per hour (2 to 5 credits at $40 to $50 each) |
| Final Round AI | AI mock interviews across many formats | Most roles | Yes | Free plan; Pro from $25/month |
| DataInterview | Structured data and ML courses | Data science, ML/AI, data engineering, analytics, quant | Yes, on Course + AI and up | From $20/month billed $240/year |
The table puts 8 options side by side on best for, roles and ai mock interviews, with price in the last column. DataLemur has at least one red cell, a column they don't cover. Dataford is the row built around one company and role, with loop guides, real questions, AI mocks and 1:1 coaching, at $29 a month or $89 a year. Read across your weakest round first, then check price.
For reference, Big Interview costs $39/month, $99 for 3 months or $299 lifetime.
Dataford
Dataford is company-specific technical interview prep for 80+ roles, with 51,000+ real interview questions and 86,000+ interview guides across 15,000+ companies. You pick the company and role you're interviewing for, like Data Engineer at Meta or Software Engineer at Amazon, then get the real questions, a guide to how that loop works, and AI mock interviews. Skill practice (SQL, Python, product sense) sits inside each company-role track.
Interview Query
A long-running question bank and course platform for data science and analytics interviews.
DataLemur
An interactive SQL and analytics practice site from Nick Singh, co-author of Ace the Data Science Interview.
StrataScratch
A large bank of SQL and Python coding questions taken from data interviews.
Aced (formerly Exponent)
Exponent rebranded as Aced. It's known for product management, software engineering and system design prep, with courses, videos and peer mock interviews.
IGotAnOffer
Free company interview guides plus paid 1:1 coaching with ex-interviewers.
Final Round AI
An AI interview app with practice interviews across scenarios like coding, system design, product case and data/ML, plus automatic debriefs.
DataInterview
Structured courses and a question bank for data, ML and quant roles, from Dan Lee.
How to choose
Frequently asked questions
What is the best Big Interview alternative for data science interviews?
It depends on your gap. For prep for a specific company and role, like Data Engineer at Meta or Software Engineer at Amazon, Dataford. For course-style learning, DataInterview or Interview Query. For SQL drills, DataLemur or StrataScratch.
Is there a Big Interview alternative for software engineers?
Aced (formerly Exponent) is strong for SWE and system design. Dataford covers company-specific technical rounds for software and adjacent roles.
Which Big Interview alternatives have AI mock interviews?
Dataford, StrataScratch (Premium), Aced (Expert plan), DataInterview (Course + AI and higher) and Final Round AI all offer AI mock interviews.
What is the cheapest option?
Of the prices I could verify, DataLemur's $60/year plan is the lowest-cost paid option, followed by Dataford at $89/year. Final Round AI has a free plan.
How much does Dataford cost?
$29/month (Quick Prep, cancel anytime) or $89/year billed annually (about $7.42/month). All plans include the same features.
Is Exponent the same as Aced?
Yes. Exponent now operates as Aced.
Does Dataford offer 1:1 coaching?
Yes. Dataford has 40+ coaches who currently work at companies like Meta, Google, Amazon, Databricks and Stripe. Sessions are 60-minute mock interviews or strategy calls, from about $109 to $339 per session (most are $139 to $209), with written feedback afterward. Sessions are anonymous and nothing is recorded, and you can cancel free up to 24 hours before. Coaching launched on October 17, 2026 with 40+ coaches, and we expect to pass 500 in the next couple of months as we add a more human side to prep on Dataford. Every session runs inside Dataford itself, with no separate Zoom or Google Meet link, so booking, the mock and the feedback all sit in one place.
Prices and features last checked October 11, 2026. If anything is out of date, let us know and I'll update it.